Woman in her 20s dies and two pedestrians rushed to hospital after van ploughs into crowd of individuals outdoors King’s College London – as police arrest man, 26, on suspicion of drug-driving
A woman has died and two others have been injured after a van crashed into multiple people on The Strand in London, the Met has said.
A woman in her 20s was sadly pronounced dead at the scene, with two other people taken to hospital.
The Met said one of those injured is in a ‘life-threatening’ condition, while the other has only minor injuries. A fourth person was treated at the scene and discharged.
In a statement, the force said a 26-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of drug driving and careless driving.
Police said the incident, which happened at around 11:50am close to the entrance to King’s College London and Somerset House, was not terror related.
Photographs taken at the scene showed paramedics at least one person on the floor. Multiple ambulances and police cars are currently at the site.
The London Fire Brigade was also in attendance, and said two fire engines and 10 firefighters are currently at the scene.
A woman in her 20s has died after a van ploughed into pedestrians on The Strand in central London
The van is pictured behind a police cordon, along with a blue forensic tent and nearby police officers
Photographs from the scene show at least one person being treated by paramedics on the ground
Witnesses have reported that the van collided with a group of pedestrians made up of young women
A screen is erected by emergency services at the scene in central London
Paramedics have been seen appearing to load one person on a stretcher into an ambulance
Emergency responders are pictured at the scene after police set up a wide cordon
Paramedics, police officers and firefighters were all scrambled to the scene just before lunchtime on Tuesday
Witnesses have reported that the van collided with a group of pedestrians, with some saying this was a group of young women.
Passerby Josh said he heard a ‘bang’ and ‘screams’ at the time of the accident.
He said the van involved had driven out of a nearby service yard and through a gate before a group of people rushed over to help the victims.
He added: ‘We all went over there and then obviously one of my mates, he went in there, grabbed some first aiders and came out, we tried to get people away and all that.’
A dark blue van with a smashed headlight and a dent on the front right corner remained by the police cordon on Tuesday afternoon.
In a statement, the Met Police said: ‘Police are on scene and dealing with a collision close to The Strand, WC2.
‘Officers were called at 11:41hrs on Tuesday, 18 March following a collision involving a van and pedestrians.
‘Three pedestrians suffered injuries, with a woman in her twenties sadly pronounced dead at the scene. Two pedestrians have been taken to hospital, one has potentially life-threatening injuries, and the other has minor injuries.
‘The driver of the van, a 26-year-old man was arrested at the scene on suspicion causing death by careless driving and driving with concentration of specified controlled drug above specified limit.
‘He remains in custody. Enquiries are ongoing and a crime scene is in place.
‘This collision is not being treated as terrorism-related.’
A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said: ‘We were called today (Tuesday 18 March) at 11.39am to reports of an incident in The Strand, WC2.
A blue forensics tent is pictured at the scene of the crash – the driver has been taken into custody
Shocked witnesses were seen sitting on the ground as they were supported by police officers
A woman is comforted near the scene of the crash, which occurred just before 12pm on Tuesday
Two fire engines were initially sent to the scene of the crash, but have now understood to have been stood down
The crash happened outside Bush House North at King’s College London’s Strand campus
‘We sent resources to the scene including ambulance crews, advanced paramedics, an incident response officer, a clinical team manager and London’s air ambulance.
‘We treated four people at the scene. Sadly, despite our best efforts one person died. We took two people to hospital and a fourth person was discharged.’
The Strand is currently shut to traffic from Surrey Street westbound to Waterloo Bridge.
Bus routes 9 and 23 have also been affected.
A forensics blue tent has been erected close to the crashed van, and police officers were seen with a large quantity of tarpaulin.
Students at the university were left horrified by the inicident. Ali, a PhD student at King’s College London, was leaving class when he saw emergency services gathered near the scene in central London where a woman in her 20s has died after being hit by a van.
The 28-year-old said he initially thought emergency services were there for a protest outside the university, until he saw ambulance workers carrying stretchers.
‘I was just walking out of class… at first I was disoriented, I thought it was a protest because it usually happens, but it’s something else entirely,’ he said.
A police officer guards a cordon on The Strand in central London on Tuesday afternoon
The van crashed into a flowerbed after hitting pedestrians and came to a stop in front of King’s College London flags
Police officers are appealing for witnesses and anyone with information to come forward
‘[Now knowing a woman has died] is so sad and hard to process – my thoughts go out to her family and friends.
‘We walk by that crossing all the time and it’s pedestrianised, barely any vehicles pass.’
A statement for LFB added: ‘Firefighters attended a road traffic collision on The Strand.
‘A van collided with pedestrians. Sadly one woman died at the scene. Two pedestrians have been taken to hospital.
‘Two fire engines and around 10 firefighters from Dowgate and Lambeth fire stations were in attendance.
‘Crews assisted our emergency service partners from the Met police and London Ambulance Service at the scene.
‘The Brigade’s 999 Control officers were alerted to the incident at 1151 and it was over for the Brigade by 1304.’
Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 or post @MetCC ref CAD 2771/18MARCH.
